Content Mastery Guide

It's Blog Action Day - But First, Let's Eat!

I've written on this blog about how my ideal work day has me blogging first and taking care of clients second.

But there's something even more important, and that's my self-care, which includes both physical and spiritual practices.

To plan my day, I use a combination of a daily printout of my Google Calendar and the Freelancer Workweek planners from Charlie Gilkey of Productive Flourishing). But long before that, I've blocked out time for my self-care activities, including meals and snacks.

My current self-care regime has me dividing my meals throughout the day to separate the foods that don't seem to get along well when I eat them at the same time.

While it's been better for my digestion, it raises some challenges to add those other meal times into the day. And I do it. Because it's important.

Without the proper fuel, my body cannot do its daily work and I won't be able to help anyone.

Back when I was coaching creative artists and others on their own self-care journey, I wrote two articles about food:

• Try a Slow-Carb Habit (co-written with Susan Baker, Natural Nutritionist) - still one of my most popular articles at EzineArticles.com, with 54,849 lifetime views
• Meal Planning: Your Ticket to Freedom - along with a free meal planning worksheet 

Please enjoy these articles, as well as the multitude of other blog posts that have been published today as part of Blog Action Day. Start at blogactionday.org or follow the hashtag conversation on Twitter.

Reviewing 2010 and Preparing for 2011

One of my holiday projects has been to finish moving my Genuine Coaching Services website to its new home.

I've really enjoying reviewing the materials I created to support my self-care coaching clients, many of whom were creative artists.

I first published this year-end review exercise in 2005. This week, I decided to go back to my coaching roots and follow my own original instructions.

Here are just a few of the gifts I am celebrating from 2010:

• Witnessing as my cousin's daughter become a Bat Mitzvah in April - the entire family worked very hard to prepare and the service was such a beautiful tribute to their love and dedication.
• Turning 40 in August, and also celebrating with my friend Candace when she turned 40 in January (see photo below).
• Attending the inaugural Wealthy Thought Leader event with Andrea J. Lee in Vancouver, BC, and hanging out with so many amazing thought leaders, including my former coaches Mark Silver and Charlie Gilkey, and friends and colleagues Sandra, Alicia, Marcy, Karri, Tia, Jeremie, Glenda, Leesa and so many others!
• Finishing my book Write Your Way to More Clients Online.
• Receiving so much love and support through Chyna's illness. I was grateful when Chyna sent the message that it was time to share my love with another greyhound, and that GINA worked so quickly to bring my next perfect match. I continue to be humbled and strengthened by lessons of patience and acceptance as Patch continues to adjust to his new life away from the race track.
• Harnessing the power of Twitter to meet like-minded business owners in my new hometown of Barrie - before I even arrived!
• Moving into this beautiful home

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Celebrate your own gifts with this simple three-step exercise from the Genuine Coaching Services website.

You may also be interested in the free 5-part e-course Why Resolutions Don't Work (and what to do instead).

Here is a photo of Candace's birthday lunch from January 2010:

Busy time ahead? Don't lose momentum on your content marketing

The topic of last week's Small Business Buzz Twitter chat was Vacation Strategies.

While it's not a vacation, I AM looking ahead towards some down time from my business. That's because the Content Mastery Guide is relocating to beautiful Barrie, Ontario. That's right, Patch and I are moving!

Adding to the excitement (and a bit of stress) is that it's all happening relatively quickly towards the end of September. And there's a lot to do between now and then!

I knew that if I was going to keep up with my regular content marketing goals AND keep telling you about the new content writing solutions I'm putting together for you, I had better plan ahead.

First, I used Charlie Gilkey's blog post planner to plot out the categories I want to focus on over the next few months, and I filled in a few article ideas I'm already brewing for each category.

Then, I used his blog post calendar to put together a content strategy that laid out precisely which pieces of content will go out on which date. This document went beyond an editorial calendar, and helped me look at:

• The types of content I want to be sharing, both in this blog and with the members of the Content Mastery Action Club
• The best timing for each type of content, based on what's happening in my business
• The different resources and services that I offer, and how to weave my content strategy through all of these solutions so that the right people hear about them   

The real bonus is that I'll be able to replicate this strategy long after I'm settled in Barrie.

How do you plan ahead when you know you'll be away from your business? Please comment below.

It's a Boy! Say hello to my new greyhound...

I have wonderful news! On Saturday, May 1, 2010, Chyna sent me another wonderful greyhound companion to share all of her loving lessons with.

Patch was born on May 30, 2005 and his racing name was Apache. He was a champion AA (top grade) racer and he ran 80 races! He retired from racing in August 2009 but he only left the racetrack kennel a few weeks ago.

The wonderful folks at Greyhounds in Need of Adoption (GINA), our local Southern Ontario greyhound rescue organization, placed him with a loving foster mother and took care of all of his medical needs, and now he's arrived here in his "forever home." 

On Sunday, June 13, 2010, Patch and I will be walking in Chyna's memory in the K9 Rescue Me Walkathon. Here is my personal stats page where you can watch my progress.[Personal stats page added May 17, 2010.]

You can donate anytime at CanadaHelps.org by choosing "GINA - Greyhounds in Need of Adoption" from the drop-down list on the "Donate Now" page.

And for a free way to support rescue efforts for all types of pets, visit The Animal Rescue Site. I have it set as my "Home" tab so I remember to click every day!

Remembering Chyna

Just one month shy of her 12th birthday, my beautiful greyhound Chyna crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Friday, March 5th, 2010. Some of you know about the health challenges she's been having recently, and while this was sooner than I'd hoped, it wasn't unexpected. I'm grateful she was home with me and did not suffer very long.

Making a memory page for Chyna was very therapeutic, and it has been so heartening to read people's beautiful, loving messages (details and link are below). It has also been healing to compile my thoughts about some of the many things Chyna taught me in our 17 short months together.

5 things I learned from Chyna

1. Don't forget to get outside for a walk once in awhile. As my VP of Joy, Chyna was great for reminding me to take a break and stretch my legs - something that's easy to forget when the creative juices are flowing, or when I'm under the thumb of some self-imposed "emergency" that feels like it has to be done immediately.
2. A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet. While I'd heard this phrase before, Chyna epitomized it. She rarely met someone who didn't fall instantly under her spell, whether that was a neighbour, a cousin at a family gathering (even if she thought Chyna was a bit scary) or just someone on the street.
3. This is the only moment that counts. Chyna was incapable of holding a grudge. If we had a little disagreement about which way to walk or when it was time to come home, she was always quick to be friends again (especially when it was time to eat ;)  "Don't be silly," she seemed to say, "I may not like everything you do, but I never stop loving you!"
4. Love is never an interruption. This ties back to #1. When I'd be in the middle of working on something and Chyna would come over to snuggle, the thought would flash through my mind that I didn't have time for that! Luckily, through her quiet wisdom, Chyna reminded me what's really important.
5. Personal space is sacred and must be honoured. Chyna liked her own space, especially when other dogs were around (as her doggie cousin Tali will remember!), and she'd protect it - that was practically the only time she made a sound. But she was equally protective of the loving space we shared together, finding ways to be near me during the day while I worked.

In lieu of submitting comments below, please visit Chyna's memory page to see photos and sign the guest book: Remembering Chyna

The real value of support (a very personal note)

A heartfelt thanks to my coach, Charlie Gilkey, who has walked with me through this process of launching the Content Creation Capsule.

What did that support do for me?

I did more than I would have done otherwise - I've never written five new blog posts in one week before, but I did it! I never made a slideshow video before, but now I've made three!

I did things that scared me - I reached out and asked my colleagues to help me spread the word about my program, and I launched it long before it was perfect (or even completely designed!).

I went for MORE - I've raised my prices and changed my service packages since I've been working with Charlie, and am much closer to charging what I deserve (affiliate link). (By the way, this makes the Content Creation Capsule even more valuable for YOU.)

I would love to support you this way with your writing goals, which is why the Content Creation Capsule program includes a premium support option.

What could an intensive level of writing support do for you over the next six months?

How much more writing could you do? Are you struggling right now to publish one new article in a month for your newsletter? Imagine breezing through that and adding a mid-month mailing on top of it! Or maybe you're blogging once or twice a month now, if you're lucky. What if that turned into once or twice a week?

What have you been scared to try while marketing your business? Do you find it difficult to start conversations on social media because you have nothing to share? Do you neglect to follow up with prospective clients or referral sources because you don't have any resources that demonstrate your expertise? Are technical difficulties plaguing you?

How could you go for more in your business? With more clarity, resources, ideas and confidence, what will you be poised to accomplish in your business by the time we're through?

Wow, I am excited about these possibilities for you! Let's talk for just a moment about some of the numbers. Here's how it would look if you were to pay separately for everything you get at the premium level in the Content Creation Capsule:

$197	60-minute private content strategy session
$294	2 x 30-minute private writing labs ($147 each)
$58	2 x content calls/recordings plus implementation worksheet ($29 each)

That's a total value of $549 per month, and doesn't even include the priceless group support and learning you will get in the interactive Q&A calls twice a month, focused on how to implement what we're learning in YOUR specific business.

This premium level of support in the Content Creation Capsule will cost you just $397 per month.

Are you supposed to be one of my four premium clients?

Working with Charlie has also helped me stay mindful of my capacity, and I've realized that I need to put a limit on the number of people who work with me at this premium level. I've decided that I'm comfortable taking four people. Those spots are open now - is one of them yours?

Claim one of the four premium support packages in the Content Creation Capsule for just $397 per month:
http://www.growyourbusinesswitharticles.com/ccc-enrollment.html

Please note: My time is also limited! Enroll now to get the widest variety of available times in my schedule for your private sessions.

Lastly, I was reminded by Michael Bungay Stanier this morning how important is it to celebrate. Here are three things that I'm celebrating today:

1. I'm attending the Wealthy Thought Leader in Vancouver next month (and now you can spy on me and attend via video - affiliate link), where I'll be spending time with three of the coaches who have supported me in my business, both past and present.
2. People are enrolling in the Content Creation Capsule and I'm getting lots of questions and positive feedback.
3. My dog Chyna pulled through a very scary health ordeal last weekend.

Claim one of the four premium support packages in the Content Creation Capsule:
http://www.growyourbusinesswitharticles.com/ccc-enrollment.html

P.S. There are also still 6 spots remaining for the regular program, if that makes more sense for you right now.

Vacation Alert - Dec 18-28, 2009

My office is now closed and will re-open on Tuesday, December 29th.

Happy holidays!

Why I'm cheerfully withdrawing from the #HAHD challenge

The #HAHD challenge is an event put on by EzineArticles, my favourite article bank website.  As a way of encouraging their members to put the incredible power of article marketing to use in a BIG way, they challenged us to post 100 articles in 100 days.

Though this is their second challenge, the first I heard of it was when I noticed my friend Kimberley Simon's tweet at the end of July.

I got a bit caught up in the excitement and pledged to post my own 100 articles in 100 days.

Fast forward to today, when I am officially (and cheerfully) withdrawing my commitment. And here are the reasons why:

1. It wasn't a SMART goal for me right now. While it was a very specific and measurable goal, it wasn't achievable within the time I was willing to put towards it (see #4). It wasn't a relevant goal specific to my business and marketing plan for 2009, and it didn't fit into the time line of activities that WOULD help me carry out that plan. (Don't get me wrong, my plan is flexible, and I've already adjusted it several time since the beginning of the year.)
2. I would much rather join my Pink Spoon Telecamp campers in our own challenge - create a new pink spoon for my own business during our 6-week class. (Care to join us?)
3. I don't respond particularly well to competition.  It is healthier and more self-caring for me to set my own SMART goals and work towards them within collaborative, supportive and loving relationships.
4. My project list is full. Burning the midnight oil to add something to it would kind of defeat the purpose of having one. And I am simply not willing to sacrifice my self-care or personal time with friends and family to do this.

Good luck to all of the #HAHD participants! I know that whether you reach the goal of 100 articles in 100 days or not, you will likely publish more articles than you would have otherwise, and even just one of those articles could land in front of your next great client or customer and bring you miraculous results. Especially with the power of EzineArticles behind you!

Baby steps to mobile living

Just when I decided that a Blackberry was the way to go, a little voice asked me to slow down and reconsider. Something about taking the plunge at this time just didn't seem right.

So I've decided to wait until I have less months left on my current contract. Maybe I'll even make the switch to Rogers and the iPhone at that point.

In the meantime, I did get myself a wireless router so I can surf the web, check email and keep my calendar updated via my iPod Touch in other areas of the apartment (like the couch :)

I can check for Twitter DMs and mentions via TweetDeck, but I haven't been able to successful sync my columns from my desktop version of TweetDeck, which is a real shame. If anyone has any suggestions about that, please let me know!

I'm also getting faster with the little touch-screen keyboard, but I still can't imagine writing anything lengthy that way.

The adventure continues...

Downtown jamming

It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since I joined Downtown Jam,  a unique music club in downtown Toronto. I've had a blast getting together with other musicians and singers to play through a songbook of all my favourite rock 'n' roll tunes.

Thursday night was the annual BBQ and open mic night. Unlike the regular sessions, this time we were playing for an audience. Luckily it was a very warm and receptive audience, made up of mostly other jammers.

I played keyboards on two tunes, but didn't get a chance to sing - I actually really like taking a supportive, accompanying role in the band. I still get to sing quite a bit at the regular jams.

I was surprised how nervous I was, though! I don't think I've performed on the piano since my early days of piano recitals! And the first song the singer chose was a Carole King tune ("It's too late") that featured a four-bar piano introduction. Eeek - just when I thought I was out of the spotlight.

Well, the four bars passed quickly and I managed to get us started. The next song was a rockin' Beatles number,  "Come together," which was a groovin' good time.

The evening reminded me just how much fun I've been having at these jam sessions and I've pledged to make sure to include them as a regular part of my life.